Charities Step Aside: Government to the Rescue.

There can be no doubt now what Barack Obama stands for: a large, expansive government that, if not socialistic, certainly seems that way. Obama's $3.5 trillion proposed budget makes real the whole "Joe the Plumber" scenario from the campaign: shift wealth from the haves and give it to the have nots. But there is another very disturbing provision within the proposed budget that should have every charitable American up in arms. Obama's budget proposes reducing, if not phasing out, the tax deductions available for contributions to private charities by any American currently in the 33% to 38% tax brackets (which soon will include a whole lot more of us). The obvious result, of course, will be a reduction in the amount of money funding America's private charitable organizations. Can this leave any doubt that Obama's ultimate goal is to progressively increase overall dependence on the federal government?